Looking and learning

 It would appear that the local House Sparrows have enjoyed a very successful breeding season, there being well over one hundred and twenty birds present around my feeding station and the adjacent gardens this morning. I'd gone through the moth trap egg trays, early, and knew that I'd not be running it again tonight due to a prolonged spell of brisk winds, peaking at 40+ mph, and rain. I've not picked up a fishing rod in over a week, but knew that today wasn't going to when anything changed. All the usual chores out of the way, it was then time to listen to Radio 5 and hear the Lionesses scrape past Haiti in their opening game of The World Cup. 

This Ichneumon Wasp sp. was on the egg trays, this morning, and
the image captured before my latest tutorial.

With the skies darkening and the wind picking up, I then spent a while watching a youtube offering about macro photography for beginners. I'm not too sure what planet some of these folk inhabit but, in between  the blatant sales patter, there were a few snippets which were worthy of following up. The wind had certainly picked up, yet it was still dry and reasonably bright so I grabbed the camera, complete with the lens and extension tubes, to see if what I'd been told actually assisted my very basic understanding of the subject?

The first Fig-leaf Skeletonizer of 2023.
My neighbours, Mike & Leslie, have a Fig Tree which overhangs our garden
and the leaves have been absolutely obliterated. Leslie said she'd only found a 
single fig this year.

Trial and error is very much the name of the game. I have absolutely no issues with admitting that I could do better or, indeed, I've got it wrong. Only by using the mistakes as a learning opportunity will progress be made. Because I wanted to practice I spent time looking for anything which would provide a test for the new camera/lens combo. Under no other circumstances would I have ever looked at this wonderful "Mirid Bug"

Heterotoma planicornis - weird and wonderful as they come!

Fortunately it is quite distinctive and common, thus no issues with obtaining a positive id relatively easily.